FanHouse Brendan Schaub

When EliteXC was in the MMA business, its president, Gary Shaw, had no qualms calling Kimbo Slice the company's "franchise player," comparing his aura to that of Mike Tyson and anointing him as an MMA great. Meanwhile, on the other side of promoter hyperbole, UFC President Dana White would rip EliteXC for its "freakshow" promotion of Slice, and throw an occasional jab at the man himself, saying at one point, "Kimbo Slice would get murdered in the UFC."

But when EliteXC closed up shop and Slice needed a new place to ply his trade, people started asking White if Kimbo could possibly find a home in the octagon. White responded that the only way for Slice to join the UFC was by going on The Ultimate Fighter. Slice called his bluff, and as a result, the UFC and broadcast partner Spike TV are privately expecting the largest ratings in the show's history.

And Kimbo? He's just expecting a chance.